The Beauty and Sorrow of Love
by Thn0715
Summary: Love is beautiful. Loss is painful. Together they are tragic.  WARNING: Major Character Death. Mild H/Ro Slash. ***NOMINATED FOR 2 PROFILER'S CHOICE 2010 CM FANFIC AWARDS!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello once again my fanfic friends! This is my entry for the "Dealer's Choice Challenge" at Chit Chat on Author's Corner. A very special thanks to FlashPenguin, who submitted this prompt. This story nearly wrote itself and has taken me on an emotional roller coaster in the process. I made myself cry on more than one occasion while writing this. And thanks to Ilovetvalot and Tonnie2001969 for creating this challenge forum. It is thoroughly enjoyable.**

**WARNING: Major Character Death. *leaves boxes of tissues and runs away***

**Prompt**

**Pairing: Hotch/Rossi**

**Three items to include: A locket, a ring, a cemetery**

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_**The Beauty And Sorrow Of Love**_

David Rossi sat alone on the white concrete bench under a tree in the cemetery in front of the still fresh grave of the only person he'd ever truly loved. He was flooded with memories of the last 12 years of his life…an incredible life he never thought he could ever have, a life he did not think he deserved.

Retirement suited him much better this time around. Ten years he'd made it this time, without so much as a moment's though to going back to the BAU. Of course, this time around, he had someone very special coming home to him every night… Aaron.

Twelve years they had been together, and they had been the best 12 years of his life. A few months after Dave's retirement, Aaron and Jack moved into Little Creek. They were married shortly thereafter. Aaron gave him everything he ever wanted but could never find in a relationship; unconditional love, understanding, the chance to show his weaknesses and vulnerabilities without judgment. And for Aaron, Dave could be the one person in the world he didn't have to hide from. He could relax and let down his protective shields. He could be expressive, emotional. He could smile. Dave loved to see Aaron smile.

Aaron also awarded Dave the chance to experience fatherhood. Jack was only six when they moved in. He'd had the joy and terror of watching the exuberant child grow into an incredible young man. Now 15, Jack Hotchner was the spitting image of his father in nearly every way, with the exception of his mother's expressive blue eyes. Dave had been honored and nearly brought to tears when, at 10 years old, Jack and Aaron approached him with the idea of adopting Jack, officially making him _their_ son. There was never any hesitation in his answer, but Jack's excitement sealed the deal. Jack started calling him "Pop" shortly after that, and it stuck.

Aaron was still with the BAU, but at 55 years old, he was finally considering the idea of retirement. After several long nights discussing the pros and cons, he'd finally decided to make it official at the end of the year. He had three months to go when disaster struck.


	2. One Week Earlier

**A/N: Just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed/alerted this story already! You are wonderful people! :) And to all my Hotch-sisters out there...please don't hurt me! And just to warn you, things are about to get sad. Really sad. *leaves more tissues and runs* **

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**_One Week Ago…_**

Aaron had been away on a case for nearly two weeks. As was his routine, every morning he would call and talk to Jack before his son left for school. Every night he would call Dave to put his mind at ease and remind him how much he loved him. Dave could tell that the case was taking its toll on Aaron. Each night he sounded more and more exhausted. Dave knew he wasn't sleeping and their calls were getting shorter and shorter. Aaron always got quiet when he was worried. Well, quieter than usual. Dave was understandably worried.

"Aaron, please talk to me. You make me nervous when you get like this."

"I'm sorry," he sighed. "I just have a really bad feeling about this one, Dave. I'm worried."

"I know. I can hear it in your voice."

"I just feel like we're going in circles. There have been four more killings since we got here. We're missing something important and none of us can see it."

Dave could envision Aaron running his hand over his eyes and through his hair. He always did that when a case affected him like this. "I wish I could help."

"Hearing your voice helps." He let out another tired sigh. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. Try to get some sleep. You need to be able to focus in the morning. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, I'll try."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

That was the last time they spoke. The next morning his call to Jack came. That night his call to Dave did not.

Dave tried not to panic, reminding himself how unpredictable cases could be. The missed phone call did not necessarily mean that Aaron was hurt or in danger. He could be checking out a last minute lead or maybe he was in the middle of an apprehension and simply could not call. But in his heart, Dave knew something was wrong. He kept playing Aaron's words over in his head. _'I have a really bad feeling about this one.'_ He did not sleep that night, his mind filled with worry.

When the call didn't come the next morning either, both Dave and Jack began to panic. Aaron never missed a call to Jack. Not one in 12 years. Not since Haley's death. He tried Aaron's cell but it went straight to voicemail. He tried the rest of the team. Voicemail. He could not even reach Garcia, which told him that whatever was going on was very serious. Both of them knew something was wrong, but neither wanted to admit it.

Jack went to school very reluctantly. Dave tried to reassure him that as soon as he heard anything at all from the team, he would let him know. He knew, however, that until the young man spoke to his father he would not be able to focus on anything else.

A few minutes before Jack was to be home from school, Dave heard four car doors slam shut in his driveway. He opened the front door quickly, expecting to see Aaron and the rest of the team home from another successful case. His face dropped when he realized there were only five people standing beside the SUV, not six. Five defeated, tear-stained faces made their way slowly up the sidewalk.

Aaron was not with them.

"No," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes. "Please, no."

Derek reached him first and could barely meet his eyes.

"Where is he, Derek?" The cracked, pleading tone in Dave's voice begged for any answer other than the one he knew was coming. Derek looked up and took a shaky breath, the tears threatening to fall once again from his bloodshot eyes.

"No. Derek. Please, no." His hands were shaking as bad as his voice as his own tears began to fall. Derek placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, David."

Dave closed his eyes and stepped away from the door. He felt like his world was in a tailspin and he couldn't breathe. He dropped into the nearby recliner and buried his face in his hands. The team followed him inside. Emily sat beside Dave while Derek poured him a drink. JJ, Spencer, and Penelope sat together on the couch.

"I knew something was wrong," Dave finally managed to say as he accepted the glass from Derek with a shaking hand. "When he didn't call last night or this morning, I knew something was wrong."

He took a steadying breath, not really sure he wanted to hear the answer to the question he was about to ask, but he had to know.

"What happened?"

Emily took a deep breath of her own and quietly relayed the events that lead to Aaron Hotchner's death.


	3. 4:25

**A/N: To TN, Wotumba, Lil, Brum, and all my other Hotch-sisters out there... please don't hurt me! I'm sorry! *runs away***

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_4:00 AM, The morning before…_

Vests on, guns drawn, and eyes constantly watching, Hotch and his team moved forward towards the construction site where their Unsubs were currently staging their standoff. Everything about their crimes, their behavior, said they would go down shooting, trying to take as many people down with them as possible.

"Morgan, you and Reid take the left side, Prentiss and I will take the right."

They separated, keeping their weapons at the ready. Bullets showered them from the second floor window sending them scurrying for cover behind bulldozers and cranes; any large construction equipment they could find to use as shields.

"You guys okay?" Hotch yelled across to Morgan.

"Yeah! You?"

"Yeah, we're okay!"

Hotch kept his eye on the second story window of the partially constructed structure waiting for a clear shot while all around him gunfire rang out. Two local officers went down trying to push closer to get better shots. SWAT agents tried moving to higher ground to get better angles but were cut off.

The two shooters momentarily moved in front of the window to view their handiwork. Hotch and Prentiss nodded to each other, a silent agreement that this was the best chance they were going to get at taking these men down before they killed anyone else.

They stood together, aiming their weapons with steady hands. Two guns aimed from the window as well.

Four guns drawn and aimed. Four shots rang out.

Four shots hit their marks.

The two shooters from the window dropped to the ground, both shot through the heart.

As SWAT slowly moved in to secure the scene, Prentiss turned to her partner. He was no longer standing beside her.

"Hotch!"

Prentiss dropped to her knees beside him. From under his vest, his white dress shirt was turning red. He was struggling to breathe as blood began appearing on his lips. He gagged, gasped, and coughed. He sounded like he was choking…more like drowning. He felt a searing pain in his chest that would not go away. He kept trying to lift his head, but he lacked the strength to hold it up.

"Agent down!" Prentiss desperately called into her radio. "Agent down! East side, 100 feet from the building. Request immediate medical assistance. Agent down!"

While making the "agent down" call, she frantically looked for the source of the blood. She removed his vest and was shocked at the site. His chest was covered in blood, the stains growing darker and spreading by the second. _'This doesn't make sense,'_ her mind raced. _'He's wearing a vest!'_ She pulled the chest plate from his vest revealing two holes. Their Unsubs had resorted to armor-piercing bullets. She used her jacket to apply pressure to the wounds, dragging a strangled cry from his lips.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know it hurts. But you've gotta hang on for me. There's an ambulance coming, but you've got to stay with me."

Hearing her desperate plea through the radio, Morgan and Reid came running and dropped to the ground beside her.

"What the hell happened?" Morgan sounded frantic. Reid looked shell-shocked.

"They were using 'cop killers'. They went straight through his vest. Morgan…"

He saw the panicked look in her eyes and the slight shake of her head and knew exactly what she was trying to tell him. Hotch wasn't going to last much longer. He was bleeding out too fast. Morgan and Reid knelt around him, their hands joining Prentiss' on his chest, applying more pressure in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Da…Dave." Hotch was trying with every ounce of strength he had left to speak, which resulted in more coughing, and more blood.

"Don't try to talk, Hotch. Lie still. Just hold on," Prentiss begged.

"Ja…Jack."

He clenched his eyes in pain and struggled to breathe as his lungs continued to fail him. He knew his time was up. He could feel the tears filling his eyes at the realization that he would never see the two most important people in his life ever again. He drug his left hand across his blood-soaked chest to grip the locket and ring hanging on the chain around his neck. Gasping for air and gritting his teeth through the pain, he tried to speak again.

"Tell them… I'm sor…sorry."

They noticed his grip beginning to loosen.

"Don't do that, Hotch," Morgan begged. "You have to fight. Please fight."

His gasps became shorter.

"Tell them…I…love…them."

He opened his eyes to meet Morgan's, whose were also filled with tears. Seeing Hotch's silent plea, he nodded.

"Okay," he quietly agreed, wrapping his hand around Hotch's as he continued to grip the locket. "But you'll be able to tell them yourself. You just keep fighting. You stay with us."

Over the next few brief minutes, which felt like endless hours, they watched helplessly as Hotch's gasps for air became shorter and more ragged. He began trembling, cold from the blood loss. He struggled to keep his eyes open. They were clouded and unfocused, but slowly darting around as if looking for something.

"Where's…Dave?" His voice held no strength. It was barely audible, just above a whisper, and slightly slurred.

Prentiss wiped away a tear from her face. "He's not here right now," she whispered back. "You'll see him soon, but you've got to hang on. Just a little longer. Help is coming. Just hold on."

His eyes drifted closed. He couldn't keep them open anymore. His body couldn't fight anymore.

"I'm sorry…Dave." A single tear dropped from his eye. "I'm…sor…sorry."

Morgan felt Hotch's hand stiffen, tightening his grip once more as his body jerked once, and then…nothing. His trembling stopped. His head lulled to one side. His hand went limp.

"Hotch?" Morgan begged. "Aaron, come on, man, don't do this."

He checked for a pulse while Reid checked for breathing. They found neither. Prentiss continued keeping pressure to the wounds while Morgan started chest compressions. Reid tilted Aaron's head back to open his airway, wiped the blood away from his mouth, and began breathing for him. They each sent up silent prayers, begging for his life. Morgan felt one of Hotch's ribs break under the force of his compressions, but he refused to stop. He could not, would not, give up. Prentiss' tears flowed freely now as she watched her friends...her family...fighting a winless battle to save one of their own.

Paramedics arrived less than two minutes later and tried to revive him. Two medics took over performing CPR while a third readied their portable defibrillator. They hastily tried multiple times to restart his heart, but they were too late.

At 4:25 AM, Aaron Hotchner was pronounced dead at the scene.


	4. Jack

**A/N: Another special thanks to those of you who have reviewed/alerted this story. I know this is an extremely sad, emotional story, so I thank you for sticking with it. It is greatly appreciated! Also, I made a small edit near the end of Chapter 3 if you want to check it out. Nothing major. Anyway...more tissues are here if you need them!**

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Dave buried his face in his hands as Emily finished telling him how Aaron died. He didn't bother trying to hold back the tears now flowing like Niagara Falls down his face. They were all crying, especially JJ and Penelope, who were just getting the details of their friend's death. They knew he'd been shot and killed, but none of the others would give them the details, saying they only wanted to tell this story once. Now they understood why.

Derek stood and removed something from his pocket.

"I thought you would want this back," he said quietly. "I didn't want it to get lost."

He handed Dave Aaron's locket and ring. Dave closed his eyes and let out a shuddery breath as he clutched the chain. The locket still had Aaron's blood on it.

"God," he shook his head. "How am I going to explain this to Jack?"

"Explain what?"

They all looked up to see Jack Hotchner standing just inside the front door with his backpack over one shoulder. He looked around the room noticing the pained expressions and the tears. He looked at Dave and saw the chain in his hand. His breathing quickened.

"Pop? Where's Dad?"

Dave stood and took a step toward him, but Jack put a hand up to stop him.

"No." His voice broke as he fought to hold onto every ounce of that famous Hotchner control he'd inherited from his father.

"Jack…"

"Don't," he shook his head as his eyes filled with tears. "Don't say it. Please don't say it."

He looked pleadingly at Dave, silently begging for this to be a bad dream. Dave's tears fell again as he held Jack's determined gaze. Jack shook his head. His breathing went ragged. Before he allowed his control to falter and let his tears fall, he ran up the stairs to his room and slammed the door.

Dave hung his head and tried to regain his composure. He felt JJ's gentle, comforting hand on his back.

"Do you want me to try to talk to him?"

He gave her a watery smile and shook his head. "No. He needs some time alone to process this. He's just like his father that way; unwilling to let anyone see him break." He ran his shaking hand through his hair. "I can't believe this is really happening. I can't believe he's really gone."

"Is there anything we can help you do?" Emily asked. "Anything at all?"

"Not right now." He took a steadying breath. "I need to call Jessica and Shawn and let them know what's happened."

The team stood to leave, each of them giving him a tight, supportive hug.

"If there's anything you need, anything at all, you know where to find us," Morgan said.

"We're all here," JJ added. "You don't have to go through this alone."

Spencer and Penelope both hugged him but neither spoke. Both were still at a loss for words, especially Spencer, who had lost yet another mentor and father figure.

Emily was the last one to leave.

"I'm sorry," she said, hanging her head. "I was supposed to have his back."

"Hey," Dave cut her off, mustering up what little strength he had left and infusing it into his voice. He lifted her chin and met her eyes. "Stop right there. I know you did everything you could to protect him. You didn't do anything wrong. The only person to blame is the man who pulled the trigger, understand?"

She nodded and hugged him tightly.

"He said to tell you he loves you," she whispered. He tightened his arms around her as he tried to speak around the softball-sized lump now residing in his throat.

"Thank you, Emily."

He watched the SUV pull away before closing the door and leaning back against it, sliding to the floor. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes tightly as he clutched Aaron's locket to his chest and silently sobbed.

Several minutes later Dave forced himself to get off the floor and make two of the hardest phone calls he'd ever made. After an hour of explanations, condolences, and still more tears, he finally felt it was time to check on Jack.

He knew Jack as well as he knew Aaron. He knew the boy would try to bottle his emotions, be strong in front of everyone, while inside his heart was slowly being torn to shreds. He knew he had to give him a little time alone to process what happened, but he refused to let him go through such tragedy alone, no matter how many times he knew Jack would object.

He paused in front of Jack's bedroom door. He could hear the faint sounds of music playing, but nothing else. He knocked quietly before letting himself in. Jack was curled up into a ball on his bed clutching a picture of his father to his chest. With Aaron's copy of The Beatles "White Album" playing softly in his CD player, Jack had managed to cry himself to sleep. The tracks of dried tears were still evident on his cheeks. Dave sat next to him for a few minutes, gently brushing his fingers through his hair and resting his hand on his back.

"I'm so sorry, son," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

He kissed Jack's forehead and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He went to his room. It literally hurt to walk through the door knowing that he would never again share this space with the man he loved. He'd experienced losses before, but nothing could compare to this pain, which was so much more than merely physical. He pulled Aaron's locket and ring from his pocket and held it close to his heart. He leaned against the doorframe and closed his eyes as he clutched his own locket and ring with the other hand.

"God, I miss you already."


	5. The Lockets

**A/N: Wanted to take a moment to thank my anonymous reviewers that I couldn't send a personal thanks to. Wotumba and Greeniz...Thank you very much for reading! And Wot...I'm sorry! Please forgive me! I promise to send you hugs and Hotch brownies at the end of this! Lots of Hotch brownies!  
**

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Dave took the locket to the bathroom to wash the dried blood from it. He would place it back around Aaron's neck before they buried him. That was where it belonged. He was very careful not to get water on the inside. He didn't want to damage the pictures that Aaron had thoughtfully picked to symbolize his love. Once it was clean, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. As he gently caressed the inscription on the front, his mind took him back to the day, five years ago, that Aaron presented him with the matching set…

.

_Aaron arranged for Jessica to keep Jack for the weekend so he and Dave could spend their fifth anniversary alone. They did not get to spend much time alone together, so she was more than happy to provide that for them._

_The entire day was perfect. They slept in late, a rarity for both of them. They spent most of the day outside either sitting on the deck or walking around the lake, talking and laughing about everything and nothing, reminding each other why they were perfect for each other. The evening was spent at the best Italian restaurant in town with a very expensive bottle of wine and the best Chicken Marsala and Veal Parmigiana known to man._

_But the night proved magical._

_"I love you, David. You know that, right?"_

_Dave turned at the sound of Aaron's slightly apprehensive voice. He was standing in the doorway of their room with his hands in his pockets. There was a hint of insecurity in his otherwise love-filled eyes._

_"I know I don't say that enough."_

_Dave quickly closed the gap between them. He reached for Aaron's hand and looked at him curiously._

_"What brought that on?"_

_"I guess I'm just feeling sentimental," Aaron shrugged. "Five years ago you gave me something I never thought I'd ever have again. Something I didn't think I deserved anymore. You made us a family. And then a few months ago you made that bond stronger by adopting my son. I don't think there are words to express just how much that meant to me, how much you mean to me. You're everything to me. I don't say that enough. I'm sorry about that."_

_His eyes were tearing up as he spoke. It was extremely rare to see Aaron so open and vulnerable, so unguarded. Dave felt honored that he was the only one to ever see this side of him that he kept so tightly hidden from the rest of the world. He couldn't hold back his smile. He brushed his hand through Aaron's hair and caressed his cheek. Aaron leaned into his touch._

_"I know, Aaron. Even if you don't say it often, your eyes do. Your eyes tell me every time you look at me." He rested his hand over Aaron's heart and spoke gently. "They tell me everything that's right here, even when your voice won't. And I love that mischievous glint they get when you're watching me and you think I'm not looking."_

_Aaron chuckled and looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Shut up."_

_Dave laughed. "Come here." _

_He pulled Aaron into his arms. It didn't go unnoticed that Aaron's embrace was tighter than usual. He smiled and tightened his own embrace in response and felt Aaron nuzzle closer._

_"I love you, too. Just so you know," Dave whispered._

_"I know," Aaron smiled, finally pulling out of Dave's arms to look at him. _

_"I got you something."_

_"I thought we said no gifts," Dave admonished._

_"Well, technically I got us something," was Aaron's rebuttal as he went to his chest of drawers and pulled a black velvet box from the top drawer. He handed it to Dave and sat on the bed. Dave sat next to him and opened the lid._

_The box held two matching gold lockets, each on an 18-inch chain. The words 'Heart & Soul' were engraved on the front in an old world script that the author and literature bug in Dave was sure to appreciate. The back was engraved with 'H/R' in the same script, signifying the Hotchner/Rossi union. And inside were two pictures. On the left, a candid picture of Dave and Aaron from the party the night they were married. Both were laughing and smiling at each other. Garcia had taken about 5000 pictures that night, but that one was always their favorite. On the right was a picture of Dave, Aaron, and Jack on the day Dave adopted him. Jack was in front, with Aaron behind him to the left and Dave behind him to the right. Jack was smiling big, looking up at them, and they were both smiling proudly down at him, each with a hand on his shoulder._

_Dave suddenly had lump in his throat. A gesture like this from Aaron was enormous. It was filled with so much love and emotion, with so much heart and soul, as it were, that it took Dave's breath away. He ran his fingers over each picture, memories of those days flooding his mind as if they'd just happened._

_"They're perfect," he finally managed to speak._

_Aaron simply smiled and took one of the lockets from the box. He removed the old chain that currently held his wedding ring from around his neck. They each wore their rings on a chain instead of their hands to avoid too many questions around the Bureau. They both wanted to keep their private life to themselves, and Aaron Hotchner showing up at the Bureau suddenly sporting a new wedding ring was sure to bring about unwanted scrutiny. He removed the ring and added it to the new chain with the locket and fastened the latch around his neck. Dave followed suit, and soon they were both wearing their rings and lockets close to their hearts._

_"Happy Anniversary," Aaron said quietly, interlocking his hand with Dave's. "I love you."_

_Dave leaned in and kissed him tenderly. "Happy Anniversary. I love you, too."_

_They spent the rest of the night in each other's loving arms, reminding each other just how deep their love ran._

_._

Dave opened Aaron's locket and ran his fingers lovingly over the pictures as he had that night. Even after five years, they were still perfect, not faded or scratched. And they were still the perfect examples of the love they shared for each other. He closed the locket and kissed it before lying back on the bed. He continued to clutch it to his chest as if it were his final link to Aaron. And much like his son had done earlier, he cried himself to sleep.


	6. Together

**A/N: Well, this is the end of our sad little journey. I'd like to thank you guys for all of the reviews/alerts/favorites, and I'd especially like to thank my Hotch-sisters for still speaking to me after I killed off Hotch! As promised, one happy fun Hotch story is in the works especially for you! :) Also, thanks to Ilovetvalot and Tonnie2001969 for creating this prompt challenge. I hope the ending has done the story justice.  
**

**A very special thanks to FlashPenguin for suggesting this prompt.**

**This piece is dedicated to anyone who has ever lost a parent, especially those who lost one at a young age, like me. I hope this story brings you comfort. Thank you for reading.**

**~Thn**

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So now, David Rossi sat alone on the white concrete bench under a tree in the cemetery in front of the still fresh grave of the only person he'd ever truly loved. Yesterday they'd buried Aaron one plot over from Haley. That was the hardest day of his life.

"I get a sense of déjà vu sitting here," he spoke quietly to Aaron's grave and remembering finding Aaron in this exact spot just days after he'd buried Haley 12 years ago. "I understand what you meant now. After Haley's funeral, when you said you didn't know if you had to tools to help your son. I understand now."

Jack had barely spoken to anyone since hearing of his father's death. He would answer questions with a nod or shake of his head. Aside from the obligatory 'thank you' to the offered condolences of so many people, he did not even speak at Aaron's funeral. Every time his emotions got too close to the surface he would go to his room, or outside, or to whatever empty corner of a room he could find; anything to keep people from seeing him falter. He did cry at Aaron's funeral, but they were silent tears, wiped away quickly in the hopes that nobody would notice.

"He is in so much pain," Dave continued. "We all are. But he won't let anyone close to him. He's trying so hard to be strong through all of this, but I know he's screaming inside. And I have no idea how to help him, because I'm screaming inside, too. I wish you were here to tell me what to do. I miss you so much, Aaron. I miss you so much it hurts."

He sat quietly for several minutes, lost in his own thoughts, when he heard soft footsteps nearby. Jack slowly approached and sat next to him but still did not speak. He looked so lost…so broken. Yet he was still hiding behind his steel walls, refusing to fall apart. Dave wanted so badly to reach out to him, hold him, let him cry on his shoulder, anything to pull Jack out of his personal hell. He watched as Jack gazed out at the graves of his mother and father. Fifteen years old and already the young man had lost both his parents. Sometimes life was more than unfair. Sometimes it was just plain cruel.

"You know," Dave spoke quietly, "your father's biggest fear was that you would grow up to hate him because of what happened to your mother." Jack looked at Dave with stunned confusion in his eyes. "He was so afraid you would blame him for her death. He blamed himself for that for a long time."

"I never blamed him. And I don't hate him," Jack shook his head.

"He knows." He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. "He wanted to give you this. He was going to give it to you for your birthday, but I think in light of what happened, he'd want you to have it now."

Jack took the box and hesitated before opening it slowly. He looked back at Dave with tears threatening to fall from his eyes. Inside the box was a locket very similar to the ones worn by Dave and Aaron. The inscription on the front was the same: _'Heart & Soul'_. He gently lifted it out of the box and turned it over. The inscription on the back was slightly different: _'B/H/R'_ representing not only Aaron and Dave, but Haley as well. He opened the locket and his breath caught. Inside were two pictures. One was the same as Aaron's and Dave's, the picture of the three of them from Jack's adoption. The other was of Jack and Haley.

Aaron had made a conscious effort to always help Jack remember his mother. He kept pictures of her, told him stories, and Jack still had the home videos they'd made when they were in protective custody. The same thought process went into deciding which pictures Aaron chose for his son's locket. The picture was from Jack's fourth birthday. He and Haley were both smiling and laughing, which is exactly how Aaron hoped Jack would always remember her. He ran his fingers tenderly over the pictures.

Dave heard him sniffle and knew that those protective shields were on their way down.

"He was so very proud of you, Jack. Every single day. His face would light up whenever he talked about you, whenever he saw you. He loved you so much. I hope you know that." He placed his hand on the boy's back and felt his breath hitch.

"I just want him back!" Jack's broken voice cried out, and his steel walls crumbled like sand to the ground.

Dave pulled him into his arms as Jack's violent, uncontrollable sobs filled the air. Four days of pent up emotions flooded out of him. He clung to Dave with everything he had, burying his face in his jacket, as his unrelenting tears soaked Dave's shirt. Dave wrapped his arms securely around him and held him tight to his chest as his own tears fell.

"I know, son. I know." He ran his hand through Jack's hair and kissed the top of his head. "I do, too. But we'll get through this. I promise. We'll do it together. For him. We'll do it for him."

He held Jack as the sun began to set while they both continued to cry. Half an hour passed before Jack was able to calm down. He finally sat up, wiping his face and looking exhausted. Dave rubbed his back gently and smiled at him.

"I love you, Jack. Every bit as much as I love him. You are every bit your father's son and you're always going to hold your emotions very close to the vest. But even your father needed a shoulder to cry on now and then. I'm going to tell you the same thing I told him all those years ago. You don't ever have to hide from me, Jack. Not ever. I know how bad you're hurting, and I wish I could take that pain away from you, but I can't. At least let me help you carry it. You don't have to do this alone."

Jack offered him a watery smile. Dave ran his hand through Jack's hair.

"It's okay to fall apart, son. I'll catch you. I promise."

Jack took a steadying breath. "I miss him."

"Me, too."

"But I'm glad I've still got you, Pop. I don't think I could do this without you."

Dave smiled at him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.. "Come on. Let's go home."

They both stood. Dave kissed his fingertips and laid his hand on Aaron's grave. "I love you, Aaron."

Jack followed suit, laying his hand on both his parents' graves.

Dave put his arm around Jack's shoulders as they walked to the car, leaving Aaron to rest in peace. They would get through this. Together.

**_The End_**


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